The Other Half
by Eric3
Summary: Sam must defend a man she has fallen in love with from Goa'uld and despair. Please review. Thanks.


STARGATE SG-1

The Other Half 

            Major Carter surveyed the battlefield through her gas mask.    The ground below her was well trampled on, and there were scorched patches of earth where Jaffa staff weapons had impacted.  A thick yellowish mist obscured most of the valley restricting vision beyond twenty yards.  A sinking feeling in her stomach had made her tense up at the possible dangers just beyond visual range.  She forced herself to relax as she listened for sounds of battle.  Not hearing any she began to take more steps forward.

The probe that was first sent to P2X010 had witnessed a battle between a primitive human faction and a legion of Jaffa.  General Hammond decided and Colonel O'Neill agreed that they should lend help.  Despite her military training the scientist in her hated shooting.  She would much rather be lending medical or scientific aid, but if the culture here needed military aid, she wouldn't hesitate to shoot for absolute victory.

            Daniel Jackson hesitantly stood over the first and as of yet only body they had found since stepping through the gate.  It was a Jaffa warrior, sect unknown.  He wanted to check for a pulse but he realized that Goa'uld parasites had been known to jump to a nearby body when the old host was dying.  

Teal'c saw the hesitation and stepped forward.  He was the only one without a gas mask.  The larva goa'uld that protected him from the gas also protected him from becoming infested with a second parasite.

"He is dead."  Teal'c assured them before gazing back up at the thick clouds.  "He is from Shu sect."

"The Egyptian god of the air."  Doctor Jackson spoke out loud to nobody.  Jack had told him how annoying that was but he had noticed how bits of information usually came together to solve a puzzle or mystery.  He lived in perpetual hope that one of his observations would be the key that would unlock some great mystery that was plaguing them.

"I can find no wound."  Teal'c informed them.

"Maybe he was zatted?"  Daniel suggested.  "A few of the human inhabitants we saw in the probes transmission were using confiscated Goa'uld weapons."

"The locator beacon is secured to the Dial Home Device."  Colonel Jack O'Neill came up behind them, dismissed the Jaffa body at a glance and looked into the distance.  He assessed the situation in an instant.  "We should get out of this valley as soon as possible."

"The ground looks as if it's slopping upwards this way."  Samantha Carter pointed anticipating the next step.  She had often wondered whether the Colonel was decisive or impulsive, but since she was still alive after all they had been through she settled upon decisive.

"Good enough for me."  Jack started to quickly walk in the direction indicated.  A few more bodies appeared in their line of sight but Colonel O'Neill passed them by, he was only interested in finding the living.

"So is this a new Goa'uld weapon, this gas?"  Doctor Jackson asked as he jogged to catch up.

"I wouldn't put it past them.  They've been known to use biological agents before."  Jack answered quickly.  "It even looks poisonous."

"Teal'c, what does it smell like?"  Major Carter asked looking for more information.

"It actually smells rather sweet."  Teal'c struggled to get the words out.  His hands went to cover his mouth as a series of coughs began.  He stopped and bent over to breathe.

"That's odd."  Daniel observed unaware of Teal'c's discomfort.  "It's such an ugly looking gas my mind assigned an unpleasant smell to it."

"Are you ok?"  Samantha put a reassuring hand on the Jaffa's back.  The coughing did not stop.  Colonel O'Neill finally stopped and looked back at them.  After glancing around them he took his mask off and forcibly fit it around Teal'c.

"Jack what are you doing?  The gas . . ." Daniel protested.

"I'll be fine.  Besides it doesn't seem to bother them."  Jack shrugged at the edge of the mist.  Major Carter and Doctor Jackson looked up to find themselves surrounded.  A group of humans stood in the mist passively watching them.  Samantha's first impulse was to grab her gun but she realized that none of the natives had made a threatening move and Colonel O'Neill didn't seem too concerned.  She once again hoped he was being confidently decisive.

"Once again I am sorry for your friend."  Dusat apologized for the third time since introducing himself.  "The Jaffa have always been our antagonists.  We have never heard of one defecting before."  Six struggling natives carried Teal'c from the poisonous mist on a stretcher.  Despite his immense size they hurried him to their medical facility.  The rest of SG-1 followed behind flanked by two-dozen native warriors.

"As long as he comes through okay you won't hear anything more about this from me."  Jack assured their leader.  Too many people sincerely wanted to kill them for Jack to pay any attention to a simple misunderstanding.  He was merely grateful they had reconciled in time to help the Jaffa.

"He should be fine in a day, we've developed very sophisticated defenses for biological weapons.  Of course that was out of necessity."  Dusat explained.  Although he had the visitors outnumbered he had ordered his people to stand down.  The newcomers were not dressed as the Jaffa; they had almost given up hope of ever finding help in their struggle with the Goa'uld.  The four off-worlders seemed to be an answer to prayer albeit a last minute answer.

The entourage entered the huge medical building at a quick pace.  Doctor Jackson noticed that it was massive structure especially since the Goa'uld did not usually commit many resources to medicine.  Their natural regenerative powers coupled with the panacea of the sarchoughogus had forced them to ignore medical science.

The native inhabitants were not as shabbily dressed as had been the case on most worlds where the Goa'uld had enslaved the human population.  They were even relatively clean for having been in a battle.  

Teal'c was taken into a separate room and the doctor motioned for them stay out.

"Alright, why don't you fill us in on the situation here."  Jack demanded.  

"We overthrew our Goa'uld masters about three years ago.  Since then we have been in a constant struggle for independence."  Dusat explained.

"How about from the beginning."  Daniel suggested.

Dusat took a breath and began again.  "Our people are the Shuites.  We have been slaves to the Goa'uld Shu for the past six thousand years.  This particular colony was a biological research facility.  He developed several new weapons here.  We were used as lab assistants and guinea pigs until we fought back and won our freedom.  But they keep coming with more and more warriors."

"Why didn't you just bury the gate?"

"That was our last desperate option.  Initially we wanted to use the gate to escape, but we couldn't figure out how to use it."

"Ya it can be complicated."  Daniel ruminated.

"So where does that put you now?"  Jack asked thankful that the history lesson was over.

"There are four thousand of us here.  And we have just used the last of the biological agent that we stole from the Goa'uld.  With tomorrows sunrise the mist will evaporate and the Goa'uld will simply march back in to reclaim the planet."

"How do you know they'll come tomorrow?"  Carter asked.

"Because they've come everyday this month."

"What kind of biological agent is it?"  Samantha asked.

"Plusion 47.  It was developed in order to attack other goa'ulds.  It adversely affects the parasite."

"And you just ran out?"

"Our commandeered facilities are now producing the substance constantly but we cannot keep up with demand.  The new batch won't be ready for a week."

"This could be a valuable technology against the goa'uld."  Sam concluded.

"Alright, get the formula."  Jack ordered.

"Even if it works the gas would only have limited usefulness."  Daniel added.  "We would never be able to use it in a battle with Teal'c or the Tok'ra."

"Still, it might be of some use.  Carter why don't you check it out."

"Yes sir."

"Lomas.  Please escort Major Carter through our facility.  Give her anything she requires."

Lomas and Carter walked down the hallway and disappeared into a stairwell.  Another Shuite ran up to Dusat and whispered hurriedly into his ear.

"Would you excuse me, I need to attend to something.  You will be all right here.  I will be back presently."  Dusat hurried off but Jacks voice halted him.

"Stop."  Jack shouted.  "No, no secrets.  It seems as if every so-called friend we make out here has a dark secret.  You need to deal openly with us."

"Of course."  Dusat said hesitantly.  "But this will not be pleasant."

"We'll deal with it."  Jack assured him.

"Wow."  Major Carter remarked quietly as she studied the massive tanks producing the anti-goa'uld gas.  The tanks rose two stories high and filled up the entire room.  Technicians walked around studying computer readouts and tank controls.  "Your people are more advanced than we're used to meeting."

"How are we different?"  Lomas asked studying Carter intently.

"Usually displaced human civilizations are really primitive.  The goa'uld kept them that way to make them easier to control.  Except for their sarcophagus we really haven't seen much non-military goa'uld hardware."

"This is military hardware.  It was designed and produced solely for biological weapons.  I can't tell you how many innocent citizens met their deaths in experiment chambers."

"We'll do what we can to stop them."  Samantha struggled over what to say.  The Goa'uld were responsible for atrocities all over the galaxy, after awhile Sam found herself becoming desensitized.  It was simply too emotionally draining to become shocked and outraged on every planet they visited.  She transferred her shock to a desire for action.

"Thank you."  Lomas said quietly as he gazed at her.

Major Carter felt his eyes on her and met his glance.

"I'm sorry for staring, you remind me of my late wife."

"I'm sorry.  Was she killed in one of those experiment chambers?"

"She was shot by a staff weapon three years ago.  She was actually the first to die in our revolt.  Her memory has kept me going, kept me fighting.  You look somewhat like her, large blue eyes, golden hair."  Lomas looked away in shame.  "I will make you a copy of our records.  It will contain the schematics of the technology we've commandeered as well as the formulas for various gases that were developed here."  Lomas hurried away before Sam could answer.

"Thanks."  Major Carter added sadly.

"What happened here?"  Daniel asked as he gazed open mouthed at the scene before him.

"It's rather obvious, isn't it?"  Jack added.

"We'll no it isn't."  Daniel protested.  "It looks like he shot himself with a staff weapon, but in cases of suicide there are many unseen factors.  Motive for one."

"We may never know that."  Jack admitted.

"Actually we do."  Dusat broke in.  "You asked for no secrets.  We will now honor that.  When we were first brought here a common punishment for disobedience was the death of a loved one, a husband or wife.  Our society then devolved into a promiscuous civilization where no one got truly close to each other.  If one has no family they can't be taken away from you.  The goa'uld responded by altering our biological makeup.  They produced thousands of unique chemical combinations, brain altering drugs.  Each drug was introduced into the child at an early developmental stage while still in the womb.  Each drug was given only to one male and female and then discontinued.  As a result the pair, when born would naturally gravitate towards each other, eventually they would fall in love and marry.  The goa'uld could then reuse their tactic of killing loved ones."

"That seems like an awful lot of trouble to go through."  Jack added trying to internalize the story.

"The goa'uld enjoy their killing and the suffering of their subjects.  The partner that was left alive, once deprived of their mate would slowly go insane, until they could not endure life without their partner.  This is usually the result.  Have you ever lost someone so close to you that your life in entirely caught up in their life and that without them you don't know if you could go on."

"Yes."  Jack and Daniel answered quietly at the same time.  They glanced at each other in the camaraderie of loss.

"You aren't still giving kids these drugs?"  Daniel asked.

"Of course not.  We want our people to be free to choose their own mates.  But only children three and under are free, the rest of the population, those that put their lives at risk are still bonded."  Dusat explained.

"You said the result was usually suicide, but not always?"  Jack asked.

"A very few survive after the death of their mates.  But they are not the same.  They are devastated by their loss and become filled with hate for the goa'uld and for themselves."

"We'll do what we can to stop the deaths."  Colonel O'Neill assured him.  

Doctor Daniel Jackson and Major Carter studied the documents Lomas had given them earlier that day.  They sat in a visitor's common area near their quarters.  Outside the sun had set.

"Learn anything?"  Jack came bustling in and lowered himself into a chair.

"I think so."  Sam admitted.

"You think so?"  Jack teased her.

"Neither of us are experts on biological weapons.  We'll just have to take it back with us and see what can be done with it."  Sam answered.

"I did notice something odd though."  Daniel offered.

"Let's hear it."

"There are literally hundreds of rooms which hold dozens of massive tanks.  Again this isn't my field but I can't see how they ran out of this poison.  At the rate they say they can produce it this entire planet could be covered with the gas if they wanted it to.  Even if half the tanks were broken they should at least be able to fill the valley on a daily basis."

"Why would they lie about production?"  Jack asked.

"Maybe they're devoting their resources to something else, something they don't want to tell us."  Daniel surmised.

"It seems we're jumping to conclusions."  Sam quickly added.  "We've gotten so used to people hiding things from us that we've become paranoid.  Perhaps all we need to do is ask."  

"Sounds like a good first step."  Jack agreed.

"How's Teal'c?"  Daniel asked as he continued his study of the Shu records.

"He's fine.  He says he'll be ready to fight with us tomorrow but I doubt he'll be healthy enough."

"So there will be a battle tomorrow."  Sam confirmed.

"They say that a new squad comes through every morning, they try something new, it eventually fails and one or two manage to escape back through.  Apparently this Shu guy is very intent on recapturing this facility."

"He might just be a minor system lord, this facility might have been his only advantage over the others.  The people here probably crippled his military capabilities when they revolted."  Daniel assumed.

"Then we have to make sure the people here keep control of this facility, or blow it up."  Jack suggested.  "Their best bet is to bury the gate after we leave, which won't be for another two days unless Teal'c starts to heal faster."

"So what's our battle plan?"  Carter asked.

"I set explosives around the gate.  Best to get them before they venture too far.  Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of cover in the valley."  Jack explained.

"How many of the Shuites are willing to help?"  Sam asked.

"Most of them actually.  I got tons of volunteers but given their unique biology I think it would be best if we handled it."

Carter nodded.  Once Jack and Daniel had explained about the Shuites biology she understood why Lomas had been taken with her.  She felt an immense sadness over his struggle but knew that it would not be healthy for either of them to get close.

Jack abruptly rose and walked towards his quarters.  "Be ready at dawn.  Good night campers."  After a few more minutes of reading Daniel fell asleep face down in a book.  

Samantha quietly got up and strode out onto the balcony.  All of the compounds balconies were interconnected into one gigantic garden.  Major Carter walked along the path in silence enjoying the beauty of the planet.

"Sam."

Startled she looked up.

"Lomas, what are you doing here?"

"I live here, upper level."  He answered pointing above them.  "I was just out for some cool air."

"Me too."  She stood beside him gazing out at the garden.

"I apologize for coming on so strong earlier."  Lomas looked down at his hands as he spoke.

"Don't worry.   I've learned about your unique biology.  Dusat said rushing into another relationship after a loved one dies is fairly normal here."

"Funny, I don't feel normal."  Lomas hesitated before speaking again.  "I'll be joining you in the battle tomorrow.  Colonel O'Neill stationed us in the forest.  If any of the goa'uld try to escape in that direction we're to discourage them."

"You be fine, there's lots of cover in the forest."  Carter misread Lomas's meaning.

"I'm not afraid of battle.  I'm not afraid of death, I'm afraid of life, of continuing this existence.  The person I was three years ago died when my wife died.  Now I'm only half of a person, a shadow of what once was."

"I heard about the suicide.  I wish there was something I could do."

"I'm not asking for anything, I know I do not have that right."  Involuntarily he turned to look at Samantha and was caught.  Just as he had feared he couldn't look away.  Her watery eyes held his gaze.  Those two impossibly blue orbs were the only planets worth caring about.  Samantha's short golden hair shimmered brightly in the moonlight.  Her sympathetic expression invited him closer.  They leaned towards each other and kissed.  It was soft and gentle but awkward and without passion.  After several moments they broke apart.  Lomas kept his eyes closed and turned away before Carters eyes could hold him again.  

"I shouldn't have done that."  Samantha whispered.

"The blame is mine I shouldn't have wanted it so desperately."

"I wanted it too."  She confessed.  "It's just, I can't.  I'm on a new planet every week.  I don't have many opportunities to get close to anyone, and when I do, I lose them.  I love the Stargate I think it's a marvelous, beautiful thing, but at times I've hated it.  It's swallowed up my friends and my family, and I fear I'll never see them again."

"It's safer not to fall in love at all than to love and lose."

"I guess."  Samantha admitted though she wasn't happy with her answer.

"I should leave you now.  The temptation is becoming overwhelming."  Major Carter looked back at Lomas who was still averting his gaze.  She hadn't considered what was going on inside.  His desire for her was plainly visible.  His entire body was shaking in sexual anticipation and every step he took away from her pained him.  "Goodnight Samantha."

She let him go.  Major Samantha Carter examined her feelings and found that she too was desirous of the intimacy available to her here, all the more reason to push it away.  The more intense her feelings towards Lomas the worse she would feel when she lost him.  All of the natives here were a testament to that fact.  She reminded herself to play it safe, she was here to help these people, not to use them for her own needs as intense as her own desires had become.

She settled herself upon the attitude of cold objectivity went to her room for the night.

            Daniel watched the sunrise over the forested mountains.  It really was quite beautiful, though the beauty surprised him.  He had been prepared to meet the ugly reality of war.  Dr. Jackson looked down into the valley.  The stargate was in plain sight.  The remaining wisps of the poisonous gas had evaporated away.  The bodies had been cleared away late yesterday.  The valley lay eerily silent, ready for new bodies.  

Major Carter lay next to him looking over the rise and into the valley with binoculars.  She gazed intently at the forest line where Colonel O'Neill was giving last instructions to the native militia.  Not able to identify Lomas in the crowd she gave up.  Dusat joined them with a Zat gun.

"I can't thank you enough for organizing our defense."

"We're happy to do it.  If we're lucky none of your people will die today."

"Excellent.  That is all the time we need."  Dusat answered cryptically. 

"While going over your documents I found two problems."

"Problems."  Dusat asked as he raised his eyebrows.

"Discrepancies.  The number of tanks you possess and rate of production of the gas."  Daniel tried to state his concern delicately.

"And the problem?"  Dusat insisted the accusation be made more plainly.

"Why don't you have enough gas to fill the valley everyday?"  Daniel asked bluntly.

            "We go through it very quickly."  Was all Dusat would say.

            "Are you producing anything else?"

            "No."

            "Are some of them broken?"  Daniel tried to give Dusat an out but he wasn't taking it.

            "Three."  Dusat began to sound insulted.

            "Ah."  Daniel remarked knowing that the loss of three vats would not appreciably slow down their production.

"What are you implying?"  Dusat's tone made Daniel feel guilty for having pressed the matter.

"I'm sorry, it was just an observation."

"You still don't trust us."  

"We wouldn't be fighting for you if we didn't trust you."  Samantha finally came to Daniels rescue.  "It's just that most cultures that we've met have decided to withhold information and technology from us.  We've learned to be cautious."

"As have we.  You think we are so naive that we would share all of our secrets to total strangers?  You know much more about us then we know about you.  Now we are grateful for your help today, but by tomorrow you will not be needed."

Daniel was prepared to ask why when Jack plopped down beside him.  "Heads up."

They all glanced towards the stargate just in time to see it light up.  After a few uneventful tense moments, the goa'uld began to pour forth.  Twenty unhelmeted Jaffa led the parade followed by ten helmeted warriors, all carried staff weapons.  The stargate closed as they looked around for opposition.

"Let's discourage them from trespassing."  Colonel said as he set of the explosives.  The space around the stargate exploded in fire, smoke and dust.  Six of the Jaffa fell but the air shimmered red around the rest.

"Whoa.  They all have personal shields.  I thought that was something just the big bosses had."  Jack stated.

"It's usually been reserved for the system lords.  The top guy wants to be the only one who's impervious."  Daniel agreed.

"As we have slowly killed off Shu's army he must have been forced to change his tactics.  He realizes that he just can't keep sending soldiers to wipe us out.  As his army has shrunk it has become that much more valuable, so he must find new ways for him to protect it."  Dusat surmised.

"Well that'll do it."  Jack said with a tinge of disappointment.

"Aren't we going to attack them?"  Dusat insisted.

"How?  None of our weapons can get through their shields."  Jack answered.  "I'd rather not give away our position with a futile attack.  I just need to come up with another plan.  Daniel?"

"Hand to hand combat."  Daniel suggested knowing that slow moving objects like knives and fists could penetrate the shields.  Jack gave him a 'Are you kidding' look.  "You didn't say it had to be a good plan."

"We have activity in the forest."  Major Carter sounded alarmed.

Dozens of laser blasts shot out from the shadows in the forest.  They pounded ineffectually on the shields.  The Jaffa returned fire but it was impossible to tell whether they hit anything except trees.  Suddenly hundreds of Shuites emerged from their cover and ran towards their attackers.

"What are they doing?"  Samantha exclaimed.

"Exactly what I told them not to."  Jack said angrily.

"They'll be cut down."  Daniel said with his mouth open.

"Come on."  Jack jumped up and raced down the hill with Dusat and his team following behind.  The Jaffa were concentrating their attention on the forest and so didn't see Colonel O'Neill until he was right behind them.

Jack passed his gun through the closest Jaffa's shield and opened fire.  As his first kill fell to the ground another Jaffa brought his weapon to bear.  With no cover Jack rushed at his opponent, tackling him before he could fire.

Sam saw that the offensive rush from the forest had reached the group of Jaffa.  The Shuites had thrown aside their useless weapons and simply tackled their opponents.  Half of the Shuites had already fallen; the other half desperately threw themselves on their oppressors with a frenzy of violence.

Despite the shields the Jaffa began to retreat.  Their technological defense was no help against such a primal, bloodthirsty offense.  The natives attacked with no regard for personal safety, they hurled themselves at their former oppressors with an insane hate in their eyes.

Jack tried to temper their rage with strategy but no one paid him any attention.  The Jaffa managed to reopen the stargate.  The helmeted Jaffa took their last stand on the pedestal in front of the stargate.  They fired indiscriminately into the crowd taking as many of their enemies as possible.  A moment before their shields were penetrated by dozens of rushing humans they escaped through the wormhole.  Five natives also made it through the stargate before it shut off.

As if flipping a switch, the moment the stargate deactivated the blind rage left the mob.  They stared blankly at the stargate for a few moments and then calmly began to tend to their dead and wounded.

"What the hell were you people thinking?"  Jack shouted at them.  A few looked in his direction with quizzical looks on their faces.

"We won didn't we?"  Said a bloodied Shuite as he shoved past Colonel O'Neill.

"This wasn't a victory this was a massacre."  Jack shouted again.  He had never seen such a waste of life.  He tried to make them understand.  "Our fatality rate must be 10 to 1."

"This is what they wanted Colonel."  Dusat tried to explain.

"I thought they feared being separated from their loved ones.  What about the wives and husbands of these people."  Jack pointed at a group of bodies.

"Their mates were already dead."  Dusat clarified.  "Those who still have their mates remained in the forest."

Jack now looked at the forest and saw the others emerging.  They were the ones who still had families and who valued their lives.  It suddenly clicked in Jacks brain.  Those who had attacked were people who wanted to die avenging their lost mates.  Without the other half of their selves they had no value.  Jack didn't agree with their assessment but he began to understand.  He stopped yelling at them.

Sam hurried through the unbelievable groups of dead and wounded.  There were so many it took quite awhile to find what she was looking for.  Lomas wasn't dead yet.  He was lying on his side, his face in the ground; he held his stomach, which appeared to be bleeding profusely.

Major Carter took out her field medical kit but realized it wouldn't be enough.  She shouted to others to bring help.  After they were joined by two others who began to patch up the hole in his side he finally managed to look at her.  

"I'm still alive."  Lomas groaned with disappointment.

"Why did you do this, take such a stupid risk?"

"For revenge."  Lomas answered simply, surprised that Sam didn't understand.  "What a horrible creature I've become."

"No, this isn't you."  Sam pleaded with him.  "They made you into this but you can overcome the pain of loss.  There are possibilities other than death."

"Sam I am already dead.  You've met only a shadow of a person who once was, I don't matter to anyone anymore."

The field medics quickly lifted Lomas onto a stretcher and carried him away to the hospital complex.  

"You matter to me."  Samantha whispered to herself as she watched them go.  She couldn't believe how strongly she felt for him.  Sam didn't even remember it happening but she accepted it nevertheless, she was in love.

"What's this about your not needing us anymore?"  Jack asked angrily of Dusat.  It had been an hour since the battle.  They were still in the valley and most of the bodies had been cleared.

"What do you mean?"  

"Daniel just told me that before the battle you told him that tomorrow you wouldn't need us.  Is this true?"

"Well.  Yes."

"Excuse me?"  

"We are grateful for your help but we now have things under control."

"You're forgetting that most of the goa'uld escaped after slaughtering you."  Jack reminded him harshly.

"You intimated before the battle that you still had secrets."  Daniel pressed gently.

"Yes.  I suppose it wouldn't matter if told you now.  We've prepared a weapon that we intend to send through the stargate, it will have enough of the gas to saturate Shu's home world."

"That's why you needed us.  You couldn't spare any gas for today so you could have your weapon ready by tomorrow."

"Correct.  We have been saving up for six months and now we will finally attack them.  Not only will we be free, but all of the human slaves on the Shu home world."

"Why didn't you just tell us?  Did you think we'd insist on your using the gas?"  Jack asked.

Dusat nodded.

"Listen, we can appreciate the big picture, that's my whole thing, details give me a headache, that's why I bring Daniel so he can work out the details."  Colonel O'Neill explained.

"If that is true then I am sorry for using you.  You are welcome to stay until we have confirmed the weapon worked."

"We'll do that."  Jack accepted.

Samantha sat down next to the hospital bed.  Lomas was still unconscious from the anesthetic.  Even in sleep he didn't appear to be at rest.  She reached for his hand and gripped it tightly.  Samantha didn't care that others began to notice her attachment.  She had replayed the last two days in her mind and thought she had discovered how she had fallen in love.  She saw that they were going through similar difficult times.  She had never considered suicide but she had strong desires for a husband and family.  The feelings recurred every few months but the Stargate had always taken her mind off of these desires.  She wondered if her family had been taken from her how much of her sanity would remain.  Her job was her life now, but it wouldn't always be.

"Hey."  Colonel O'Neill silently stood in the doorway.

"Colonel."  Sam quickly glanced up and then back to Lomas.

"How's he doing?"

"He'll live."

"That's good."

"I just don't know how long that will last.  He can't imagine a time when he will be all right again.  I don't know what to do.  How can I make him want to live?  How can I give him hope?  How can I make him see that there are other women out there?"

"There aren't any other women out there."

"Even being genetically bonded to a person doesn't mean you only have only one life-mate.  I believe there many people out there who are right for us."  She argued.

"On Earth, I would agree.  But here all of the other women are bonded to other men.  You are the only available woman on the planet."

"But I'm not available, not to him.  We're leaving tomorrow and may never return."  Sam insisted.

"You never know.  If this plan of theirs works we may have a permanent ally.  We may be traveling here all the time."

"I just need to help him.  If I can prove to him that he can still fall in love and live a meaningful life, maybe I can prove it to myself."  Sam realized what her feelings were telling her.

Jack looked about uncomfortably, made a silent decision and turned back to Sam.  "Well, I've been in pretty bleak circumstances, after my son died.  I didn't know if I could go on."

"And how did you go on?"

"I was called back from retirement, thrust into the Stargate program.  I found my life still had purpose, still had meaning.  It wasn't the same as having a son, but it was enough.  I don't think there's anything wrong with your falling in love with him."

"Thank you sir."

"Just so long as SG-1 doesn't lose you."  Jack finished his advice and silently left the room.

Sam stayed by his bedside all night until he awoke in the very early morning.  He felt a hand in his and looked over to see Sam asleep in the chair next to him.  Lomas wanted to run his hand through her hair and caress her cheek but he wasn't certain how to interpret her presence.  He didn't dare hope for too much.  After a shower he felt his strength returning.  Another innocent Shuite had blunted the blast that hit him.  Again he was robbed of death.  He put his clothes back on and checked himself out of the hospital.  Since he could never fully enjoy Sam's warm company and heavenly attention it was best not be near her.  Her electrical presence would only torture him with the realization that they were never to be together.  He reported back to his unit and prepared to storm the enemy's planet after the bomb had gone through.  Lomas almost wished the bomb didn't work so that death could finally embrace him.

Teal'c circled the Stargate just before dawn.  Hundreds of other Shuites were also standing or sitting about the Stargate waiting to commemorate the day of independence.  They were in a holiday mood; many had brought a picnic breakfast with them so as to not miss the historic event.  

It was a coldly crisp morning and it promised to be a bright cloudless day.

"Teal'c."  The Jaffa heard Colonel O'Neill call his name and turned around.  Jack had an amusingly disapproving smile on his face.  "You're not supposed to be released until tomorrow."  Vapor issued out of his mouth as he spoke.

"They altered their perception of my status after I convinced them I was well."

"Threatened them did you?"  Jack guessed.

"Mildly.  They still have a lot of fear of Jaffa; it was not difficult to leave.  No one dared protest."  Teal'c gave a lopsided grin.

"Sure you're alright?"

"My symbiote is restless but it will return to normal in time."

"There it is."  Daniel stated as he approached them.  

Twelve Shuites rolled a long cart over the hill and into the valley.  The natives broke out in cheers and applause.  The bomb was a huge device that was just small enough to fit inside the Stargate.

"Where's Sam?"  Daniel asked.

"I have no idea."  Jack answered truthfully.  "I don't think we'll worry about her though.  She's with Lomas."

"No she isn't.  Lomas is here."  Daniel reported.

Daniels news made Jack panic.  He looked around in a vain attempt to spot either one of them but there to many people crowding into the valley.  Soon the bomb sat in front of the Stargate, ready to go.  Dusat prepared to enter the coordinates in the Dial Home Device when the Stargate lit up and opened.  It took only a moment for the crowd to realize what had happened.  The gate had been opened from the other side and soon Jaffa warriors would begin pouring forth.  The crowd began to scatter, some sought refuge in the forest others began running towards the city.  If the Jaffa made it through there would be a massacre that was even more deadly than yesterdays.  Jack sprang into action and crouched at the base of the Stargate platform.  

"We need to buy enough time for these people to make it to safety."  Jack shouted.

"The people?"  Dusat exclaimed.  "We need to protect our weapon, if we lose that all is lost."  Dusat and fifty Shuites set themselves in front of the bomb.  Blocking it with their bodies.  All weapons were pointed at the open gate.  Daniel also took a place next to the cart, not to protect it, but so it could protect him, it was the only cover anywhere in the valley.  He found himself next to Lomas.

"Are you up for this?"  Daniel asked tensely.

"I am ready for anything."  Lomas answered blandly.  It was not bravery or defiance that spoke; it was an acceptance of fate.

Teal'c crouched behind the DHD.  It did not provide much cover but he suspected he wouldn't be hiding there long.

            As the first Jaffa pushed his way across the wormholes event horizon, Teal'c open fire.  The blast impacted harmlessly on the warriors personal shield, Teal'c immediately sent two more shots, the force of which threw the warrior back into the wormhole's event horizon where he was lost forever.  Teal'c tried again but the warriors now exited one after the other.  Six stood on the Stargate stage firing into the crowd.  One noticed Teal'c and brought his weapon to bear.  Unable to penetrate their shields Teal'c shot his staff weapon at the base of the Stargate where the warrior was standing.  The Jaffa lost his balance and fell forward.  Leaving his weapon where he could easily reach it later he rushed the fallen warrior.

            Jack felt useless, almost.  All of his fire was reflected from the wall of shields now surrounding the stargate.  And he couldn't rush the Jaffa for fear of being hit by friendly fire, because the native Shuites were not lessening their attack no matter how impotent they were.  Colonel O'Neill finally settled on grenades.  He threw them into the crowd of Jaffa and the grenade penetrated their shields.  As it exploded the blast was contained inside one the shields, killing the occupant.  Jack had hoped for more collateral damage.  He readied another grenade.  It was the only attack that seemed to work.

            Major Carter ran at breakneck speed into the valley.  She had overslept in the hospital room and was surprised to find Lomas gone.  She was late for the ceremony to send the bomb through but that didn't concern her.  She was scared for Lomas.  Where was he?  Had his loss finally gotten to him?  A fleeing mob of people informed her that something was wrong at the stargate.  The Jaffa had come early.  She raced down the hill and saw the battle raging.  She would never forgive herself if something happened to her team.  As she came closer she could see Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c and Daniel viciously fighting a hand-to-hand battle.  There were now well over fifty Jaffa standing about the stargate, all sporting shields and staff weapons that were unleashed into the crowd with unsympathetic ferocity.  Before she tackled a Jaffa that was coming up behind the Colonel who was occupied with wrestling another Jaffa, she saw Lomas in the crowd.  He was bloodied but was still standing in front of the massive bomb firing his confiscated staff weapon.

            Lomas felt in battle the way he felt in life, useless.  His shots were merely absorbed by the shields of his enemies.  Though powerless, he remained.  It was his responsibility to remain; if he were the last man alive on the planet he would fling himself at his enemies.  A blast from a staff weapon impacted on the bomb.  Lomas saw the source.  One Jaffa had guessed what the object was and became intent on destroying it.  Since his attacks were useless, Lomas decided on a more intimate approach.  He dropped his useless weapon and ran at the Jaffa.  With laser blasts coming at him from behind from his people and laser blasts coming at him from ahead from his enemies he closed the distance.  He was aiming for a Jaffa in the middle of the crowd.  He leapt beyond the front flank of warriors who were shocked at the foolhardy tactic and had no time to retrain their weapons on him and fell onto the Jaffa who was targeting the bomb.  

            The Stargate closed as Lomas and his Jaffa target fell behind the stargate platform.  Lomas gave his enemy the hardest blows he could muster, but his fists simply impacted on the armor and helmet.  He started kicking at the stomach and neck but realized his time was up.  The Jaffa had recovered from his fall.  With one swipe of his metal-gloved fist he decked Lomas, who fell limply to the ground.  By the time he recovered himself he saw the Jaffa standing over him, his staff weapon already aimed at him.  Only when he knew death was imminent and unavoidable did a desire to live come surging back to him.  He didn't have a clue where the power had come from, all he knew was that there were still things he wanted to do.  Perhaps it was his original individualistic human nature that had finally burst through the Goa'uld's biological engineering that caused him to desire life.  He valued his own life again, the second before it was to be taken away from him.

The Jaffa engaged his weapon.  All his attention was focused on his target so that he did not see the Air Force Major rushing at him from behind.  Samantha Carter tackled the Jaffa with amazing strength.  The staff weapon shot went wild and ineffectually hit the ground.  Major Carter ruthlessly attacked the Jaffa.  Her punches and kicks were not deflected by the armor, but were forceful enough to break the warrior's right arm and several ribs.  Samantha ripped the helmet off and took out her knife.  With a quick slash the Jaffa's misery had ended.  

Samantha seemed shocked at her own power and brutality.  Her gaze fell on a relieved Lomas and she knew she had acted justly to protect her loved one.  The fact that they were still in a battle and far from safety eating away at the back of their minds they ran into each other's arms and embraced tightly.  Their reason would not allow them any more comfort than that, confirmed by duty they turned back to the battle.

The few remaining natives remaining had thrown aside their weapons and were rushing the stargate platform joined by Teal'c, Jack and Daniel.  Samantha and Lomas each grabbed a pair of Jaffa boots and pulled back.  The two warriors fell forward knocking down their comrades.  The natives made short work of the confused tangle of Jaffa bodies.

Colonel O'Neill took a step back from the carnage and surveyed the victory.  They hadn't lost as many people as he had thought and medics were already rushing into the valley to tend to the wounded.  A winded Daniel joined him.  Jack wiped blood off of the archeologists check.

"Not the most pretty of victories."  Daniel observed.

"Nor the most efficient, but I'll take it in preference to a defeat any day."  Jack answered.

            Their gaze wandered around the battle until they settled on an unexpected sight.  Framed by the Stargate, Major Samantha Carter and Lomas kissed passionately.

            After a twinge of what Jack identified as jealousy, he lightly shrugged the emotion off.  "Apparently they don't mind an audience."  He quipped.  

            Dusat immediately sent off the bomb before there could be any more interruptions.  Five hours later the Stargate reopened and normal humans emerged from Shu's home world with news of victory.  The gas had spread across the entire planet wiping out every Goa'uld parasite.  Two worlds had been set free.

            "We'll send more food and medical supplies within a day."  Jack assured Dusat.  "General Hammond will send another team here to organize and help rebuild both worlds."

            "I hope our two worlds will grow close in friendship."  Dusat answered.

            Jack glanced at Sam and Lomas and he replied.  "I think were off to a good start."

            Samantha and Lomas hadn't left each other's arms since the battle yesterday.  They both felt revitalized with new hope for the future.  While they felt sad at parting they knew they could bear it.  Lomas cradled Sam's head in his hands.  He caressed her soft check with his thumb and brushed her hair through his fingers.

            "I'll return with the next team if General Hammond lets me."

            "I look forward to it.  You don't have to worry about me anymore.  I'll be here anxiously waiting for your return.  I love you Samantha."  Lomas was wrestling with a serious dilemma.  He wanted to kiss her, but if he did they would close their eyes.  He also wanted to spend the rest of his life gazing into her incredible blue eyes, but if he did that, he would never get to kiss her.  He laughed playfully at the silly predicament he had before him.  After so much darkness in his soul it was a delight to be vexed by an attractive decision.

            He kissed her.


End file.
